Charlie Nagreen
Charles Nagreen (1870-1951), known as "Hamburger Charlie", was an American claimant to the title of inventor of the hamburger.[1]
Career
Born in Hortonville, Wisconsin, at 15 Nagreen was a vendor at the 1885 Seymour Fair.[2] After not experiencing success selling meatballs, he had an idea.[2][3] Knowing that the visitors to the fair would be hungry after gazing at the exhibits but wouldn't be able to walk and eat, he smashed a meatball and placed it between two slices of bread.[2] His idea was a success and he returned every year until his death in 1951.[2]
Controversy
The name of the hamburger came from the idea of "Hamburg steak", or ground beef.[2] Since this was a popular item in Seymour at the time of the 1885 fair, Nagreen decided to call the sandwich the "Hamburger".[2] This version of events is supported by local history organizations.[4]
References
- ↑ "Hamburger" Charlie Nagreen. Seymour Community Historical Society.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Heuer, Myron (October 12, 1999). "The real home of the hamburger". Herald & Journal. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ↑ "Home of the Hamburger". Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
- ↑ e.g. Home of the Hamburger, Seymour, Wisconsin